MURRIETA ---- A Murrieta police sergeant has settled a long-standing civil rights lawsuit he filed against the city.

Sgt. Robert Landwehr, a current member of the city's police force, will receive $60,000, which includes $40,000 for attorney fees, Murrieta City Attorney Leslie Devaney said Wednesday.

Devaney announced the settlement after the end of the City Council's closed meeting Tuesday.

She said the city will not pay the settlement, rather a public insurer will.

Landwehr also had been seeking a promotion to sergeant through the 2006 lawsuit, but Devaney said she did not know the outcome of that situation.

Michael McGill, Landwehr's attorney, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Landwehr claimed he was denied a promotion to lieutenant and overlooked for special task force assignments because he publicly voiced his opinion about staffing at the department. He wrote several letters that were published by various newspapers regarding the need for more officers to serve the city's growing population.